Books COMPETING IN THE AGE OF AI STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP Marco Iansiti, Karim R. Lakhani, Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI by Karen Hao  

Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI by Karen Hao is an investigative exposé on the rise of OpenAI and the artificial intelligence boom it has triggered. Published on May 20, 2025, the book draws from over 300 interviews, including 150 with current and former OpenAI employees, alongside extensive internal correspondence and documents.

Hao, an award-winning AI journalist, presents the story of OpenAI as both extraordinary innovation and a cautionary tale about unchecked technological power concentrated in the hands of a few. The book reveals behind-the-scenes dynamics, including the shocking firing and return of CEO Sam Altman, while also highlighting the broader societal and ethical implications of AI development.

Empire of AI explores themes such as the immense resource demands of AI, the human labor behind data processing often exploited globally, and the environmental impact of AI infrastructure. Hao exposes how the tech elite’s race for AI supremacy generates power imbalances and risks to democracy, juxtaposing Silicon Valley perspectives with voices from Kenyan data workers to Chilean activists.